Capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan (slightly larger than Pennsylvania).
Registration Embassy and Consulate:
U.S. citizens are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Asmara and to obtain updated information on travel and security in Eritrea. The U.S. Embassy address is: Franklin Roosevelt Street, P.O. Box 211 Asmara, telephone (291-1)12-00-04; fax (291-1)12-75-84.
Background:
Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two and a half year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices on 12 December 2000.
Ethnic Groups:
Ethnic Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%
Language:
Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Currency:
ERN
nakfa (ERN)
nakfa per US dollar = 9.5 (January 2000), 7.6 (January 1999), 7.2 (March 1998 est.)
Climate:
Hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually); semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except in coastal desert
Population:
4,298,269 (July 2001 est.)
Religion:
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Medical:
Medical facilities in Eritrea are extremely limited. Travelers must bring their own supplies of prescription drugs and preventative medicines because pharmaceuticals are in short supply.
U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas may face extreme difficulties.
Traffic Safety:
While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Eritrea is provided for general reference only and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Safety of Public Transportation:
Poor
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Fair
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Poor
Availability of Roadside Assistance:
Poor
Most roads in Eritrea are in fair condition. The roads between the major cities of Asmara, Massawa, Mendefera, Dekemhare, Barentu and Keren are paved and are in relatively good condition. However, the roads leading to the smaller villages are usually unpaved and in poor condition.
Land mines and unexploded ordnance litter the countryside in many areas and continue to cause occasional injuries and deaths. Although a demining effort is underway, it is wise to consider all areas that are not well-traveled as potentially dangerous due to live mines. Areas north and west of Keren are known to be heavily mined. Also, there are minefields near Massawa, Ghinda, Agordat, Barentu, south of Tessenae, Nakfa, Adi Keih, Arezza, Dekemhare and in a roughly 40-kilometer wide region bounded on the east by the Eritrea-Ethiopia border on the south by the Mereb River and on the north by the Setit River. Please check with local government and local village officials before undertaking travel off paved roads in Eritrea because newly discovered minefields are regularly found. Please exercise caution when traveling to remote areas or off primary roads, avoiding secondary roads when possible. Please ensure that other traffic has passed over unimproved roads before traveling on them, which may mean delaying an early morning departure from remote areas or waiting until traffic resumes after a lull due to bad weather or other factors.
Many Eritreans make use of inexpensive public transportation, especially bus service. Please avoid buses if at all possible due to the accident risks that come with extreme over-crowding. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive in Asmara, but they are also likely to be crowded with many passengers not wearing seatbelts. If an empty taxi is available, a customer may request a "contract, meaning that for a slightly higher price, the driver will not pick up additional passengers. This option increases comfort and safety for a small extra cost.
Drivers should be aware of heavy pedestrian and bicycle traffic that generally obstructs the flow of vehicular traffic on city streets. Occasionally, horse-drawn carts, cattle, or goats can also obstruct traffic. Children and the elderly are especially likely to wander into the street in the path of moving traffic. Drivers should be mindful of small motorized carts traveling at low speeds. These vehicles are normally operated by elderly or disabled people who do not always yield to faster moving traffic. When parallel parking on city streets, be aware of pedestrians trying to dart into your space as you back in to park.
